Inmate kills himself while in custody at Hampden County jail

LUDLOW - An inmate took his own life while in the custody of the Hampden County jail in Ludlow Saturday, said Steve O'Neil, spokesman for the Hampden County Sheriff's Department.

The inmate was a 46-year-old man, said O'Neil. His identity is not being released to the public at this time pending familial notification.

The man was found unresponsive in the jail around 11:43 a.m., after which nurse and correctional staff performed CPR on him, O'Neil said. He was then taken by paramedics to Bay State Medical Center for treatment. Shortly after arrival at the hospital he was pronounced dead around 12:38 p.m.

Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi released a statement in regards to the death, saying that he and his staff "take the prevention of suicides very seriously and work every day to try to prevent these terrible tragedies from occurring."

"I'm proud of all the efforts we make to try to prevent these events from occurring. In spite of our best efforts, some individuals that make these unfortunate attempts are successful," Cocchi said.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this individual during this difficult time," he concluded.

No further information on the incident has been released at this time.